Dallas man who threatened to 'light up' Midlothian workplace sentenced to 40 years

MIDLOTHIAN, Texas - A Dallas convicted murderer was sentenced to 40 years in prison earlier this week after he threatened to "light up" his workplace with a gun.

Jamison Whitaker showed up at Liberty Tire Recycling in Midlothian on Nov. 18, 2022, with an AR-15 rifle that had armor-piercing rounds.

"Whitaker is definitely someone who had kind of a hair-trigger temper," said Ellis County Asst. DA Hope Sumrow.

Ellis County prosecutors say Whitaker felt disrespected by a coworker and supervisor and threatened them.

Whitaker told a few of his coworkers that he would "light this place up." He then told the coworkers that he was going to give them a 30-second warning before he started shooting up the warehouse.

"One of the witnesses specifically testified that he felt it was serious," explained Ellis County Asst. DA Kalina Vincent. "Because you wouldn’t have this type of weapon unless you were intending to use it."

One of those men reported Whitaker to management.

"He didn’t want to have his coworker’s blood on his hands," Vincent said.

Jamison Whitaker

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Midlothian police made an arrest. Body camera footage showed the rifle.

"I don’t know how he obtained it, but he definitely shouldn’t have had it," Sumrow said.

Whitaker should not have had the rifle because he’s a convicted felon. 

In 2000, he went to prison for five years for aggravated assault of a public servant. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to murder in Dallas County and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 

"This offense was committed just over two years after he was released," Vincent said.

Prosecutors say it’s scary to think what could have happened had someone not spoken up.

"Because we’ve seen what happens when these threats are not taken seriously," Sumrow said.

Whitaker was convicted and sentenced by a jury.